Well, here we sit, inching toward the halfway point of our third year living in Egypt, but this time it’s not just the two of us. Becca’s pregnant! We decided Cairo’s population wasn’t quite big enough yet, so we’ll be adding to the 20+ million people with one of our very own this April. With the inevitable sleepless nights and hardships of raising a child in a foreign country, also comes the excitement and thankfulness of being blessed with our first baby. We are surrounded with love from our friends living here and feeling supported from our families in the states. We’ve gotten over the initial, “We’re having a child in EGYPT” phase, and have moved onto a more realistic phase, where we realize, “Hey! People have been having kids here longer than anywhere else!” We’ve found a wonderful doctor, have a comfortable home, and already received generous gifts and helpful hand-me-downs as we prepare for our little one’s arrival. Still working on what we’ll name our little guy, but I’m sure it’ll come in due time.

The future Mr. Hatfield. Things are starting to get tight in there!

We realize that having a child is going to change the way life looks like for us. I’m not going to say that we won’t travel anymore, but those trips will probably look a little different and we won’t be able to get away with only a couple carry-ons. Also, day-to-day will look a lot different for Becca as she is gearing up to be our baby’s primary caretaker during the days. There also comes the anxiety of having a child here, in a country so far from home, that may not have all the little amenities we could expect to get in America. However, we’re surrounded by several moms and dads who have done it all before. Many of them two or three times over. Their wisdom and support has and will be invaluable as we navigate the waters of parenthood here in Egypt. And learning to adapt here is essential because we aren’t leaving just yet…

About a month ago, Caleb went through the interview process to become a vice principal at his school. Despite being a finalist, Caleb didn’t get offered the position. However, on the same day he was turned down for the position he had interviewed for, he was offered the VP job of the middle school where he currently teaches 8th grade. After several nights of prayer and discussion, we decided that not only would we accept the position, but that we would commit to living in Egypt for at least two more years. This decision wasn’t easy. Especially considering that we would be having our first child in the spring, the temptation to head stateside was very strong. In the end, we gave it over to God. We trusted Him when he brought us here, and we’re going to continue to trust Him while we’re over here. He is good.

So now in these last few months before baby arrives, we’re soaking up all the together time that we can and making the most of our final days as a family of two. We’re excited to see what God has in store for our future here. And what new relationships and friendships that having a child might bring about!

Thanks to all of you for your continued thoughts and prayers! We miss you all dearly. And you’re all still welcome to visit anytime! You’ll just have to put up with a crying baby during the night, but that seems fun, right??

We always love to hear from you two (3), Caleb congratulations on your promotion. We are glad that Becca is doing good. You both are going to Love parenthood, we are Papa & Nana now and love any time we can have the grand babies. Miss my daughter Sarah and their two loves, Claira & Owen. I saw them last in August/September for 2 weeks. Uncle Arnie and I are so very excited for you three, we love you! A & B